Posted:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/Bride-swapping-runaway-shaadi-revenge-marriages-rule-prime-time/articleshow/49012214.cms
'Saath Nibhana Saathiya' is all set to have a twist in the tale where younger sister Vidya (Sonam Lamba) gets married to a man whose father marries Vidya's elder sister Meera (Tanya Sharma) as part of an elaborate revenge plot. An instance of a bride swapping sequence was spotted in 'Tere Sheher Mein' where instead of Rachita (Anjum Fakih) - Amaya (Hiba Nawab) marries Ramashrey (Rafi Malik) and in 'Swaragini' where Swara (Helly Shah) marries Sanskar (Varun Kapoor) and Ragini (Tejaswi Wayangankar) marries Lakshya (Namish Taneja).
'Mere Angne Mein' too had a nearly groom swapping track plotted by the relatives. And then there are soaps that showcased telly couples renewing their marital vows, like Sid (Ravi Dubey) and Roshni (Nia Sharma) in 'Jamai Raja', Akshara (Hina Khan) and Naitik (Karan Mehra) in 'Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai' and Neil (Ronit Roy) and Ragini (Pallavi Kulkarni) in 'Itna Karo Na Mujhe Pyaar'. Even 'Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani', 'Sarojini' and 'Thapki... Pyaar Ki' had an elaborate and action-packed wedding track with a murder conspiracy that spoils the smooth run of wedding rituals.
ON A DESIGNER NOTE Since most of the small screen bridal collection is imitated by star-struck viewers, soap makers are taking utmost care to ensure the trousseau of the couple is extravagant. As Rajan Shahi shares, "Most viewers copy their favorite protagonists' wedding attire-jewellery and head to designer/jewelry shops to get similar things for themselves. We are allotted an extra budget by channels for apparel and jewelry, so we have to extend the budget of costumes to '20 lakhs-'30 lakhs for certain shows." And carrying that perfect look is tough for actors too. As Drashti Dhami shares, "After doing a lot of research, they designed a lehenga with an exotic ethnic fabric to give it an imperial touch for my wedding track in the show."
"Each detailing was used to maintain the authenticity of Rajasthani culture. I felt like a real princess after wearing it though it was very difficult to shoot all the scenes with the lehenga as it weighed almost 40 kilos and cost '4.5 lakhs." Shiny Doshi, who designed her own costume for the wedding track in Sarojini says, "As a person, I like everything perfect so even though it was my on screen wedding I wanted a flawless bridal look! Being a designer, I was thrilled at the opportunity to put my knowledge and skill to good use."
DRAMATIC TWISTS UNDER MANDAP Why do producers insist on the 'mandap mein twist' sequences on small screen? Says Shahi, "We Indians love weddings just the way we love our other festivities. With wedding tracks, the viewership is a lot more as the marriage of the protagonist is one of the most important sequences for a soap. And if it has an 'unusual' tale to offer, the audience is more than interested to watch it. While weaving the story-line for marriage, we ensure that it shouldn't appear too forceful."
Point taken. It should be a convincing twist too. And what are the actors' take? Helly Shah shares, "Such developments in the track are very challenging. The recent wedding sequence in 'Swaragini' brings a very interesting twist in Swara's life due to which she will take charge of things and a different side of hers will be shown." Even Jigyasa Singh adds, "Wedding scenes generally bring in a lot of drama in shows. Apart from the larger than life celebrations, viewers get to see major twists and turns in the plot. In 'Thapki Pyaar Ki' we had a major twist " I get married to Bihaan instead of Dhruv. Now the story will see how we deal with this situation which I am sure even the viewers will like to see."
For viewers the wedding track is a double whammy "a visual treat with extravagant sets, elaborate costumes, colorful celebrations and a lot of drama and action. And clearly if one goes by the numbers these shows rake in, wedding tracks in Hindi soaps have a strong connect.
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